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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026316">Charming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anyawen/pseuds/Anyawen'>Anyawen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Technomage [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>James Bond (Craig movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:34:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anyawen/pseuds/Anyawen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bond has questions for his Technomage Quartermaster</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Bond &amp; Q, Pre James Bond/Q, pre 00q</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Technomage [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Charming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>As a sequel to the LDWS drabble 'An Assist', this fic and all future sequels in the series will follow the format of the original - 400 words as per wordcounter.io.</p>
<p>2020 007 fest fic fills 2019 anon prompt ‘Magical Realism AU’</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Welcome back, 007. Good work in Brisbane. Any equipment to return?"</p>
<p>Bond took his earwig from a pocket and pulled the Walther from its shoulder holster, placing both on the tray Q indicated.</p>
<p>"Are those <i>tooth marks</i>?"</p>
<p>"Did you know that crocodiles have the strongest bites ever measured?"</p>
<p>"What is your obsession with feeding my guns to reptiles? What's next? A dinosaur?"</p>
<p>"Find me one and I'll see what I can do."</p>
<p>Bond smiled as Q huffed a laugh.</p>
<p>"What about the sunglasses?"</p>
<p>"They had an unfortunate encounter with Peterson's boot."</p>
<p>"Of course they did." </p>
<p>"Why don't you spell them?" Bond asked quietly.</p>
<p>Q shot him an exasperated glance and Bond shrugged.</p>
<p>"I'm sure you could do it, given what else you've accomplished. Make them sturdy enough to stay whole."</p>
<p>Bond watched as Q reached for his mug and pushed his chair back. He followed the Quartermaster into the small Q-branch kitchenette and waited as he flicked on the kettle and pulled a canister of tea out of the cupboard.</p>
<p>"My less mundane talents are not classified, but not generally public knowledge, either. Your discretion is appreciated," Q said as he scooped loose tea leaves into a strainer.</p>
<p>"Of course, Q."</p>
<p>"Thank you," Q replied. "You have a surprising amount of faith in my abilities given you've only just discovered them, and have only seen one example of my work."</p>
<p>"I've seen more than one example," Bond replied. "I just didn't know it at the time."</p>
<p>"Oh? What did you see?"</p>
<p>Bond pulled a small black USB thumb drive out of his pocket and offered it to Q.</p>
<p>"You told me you lost this."</p>
<p>"I found it," Bond said with a grin.</p>
<p>"Clearly," Q responded dryly. "And?"</p>
<p>"Morse to Greek to English: 'about face'."</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"You might have just put an image on one side. An arrow? 'This end up?'"</p>
<p>"Then you'd have to look at it. I don't want to divert your focus."</p>
<p>"So instead, you've charmed the gadgets so we always grab them in the right orientation. No fumbling about with them."</p>
<p>"Seconds count."</p>
<p>"They do," Bond agreed.</p>
<p>"Harder to quantify the benefit of those seconds, but I'd rather you had them than not."</p>
<p>"You could do it, couldn't you? Spell the equipment not to break?"</p>
<p>"I could."</p>
<p>"Then why-"</p>
<p>"This is a conversation for another time and place."</p>
<p>"All right. Are you free for dinner tonight, Q?"</p>
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